Shazam alternatives for concerts and DJ sets

For a released song, SoundHound and the Google app do much the same job as Shazam. Live music is where all of them struggle, so it helps to pair one with something that keeps the clip. Chord names the song from the video you film and stores the two together. For DJ sets, 1001Tracklists picks up what the apps can't.

They all struggle for the same reason. Song-ID apps match against studio recordings, and a live arrangement, a DJ edit or a screaming crowd changes the sound enough to throw them off.

SoundHound

Works like Shazam for recorded songs, and it can also try to match you singing or humming. That's handy the next morning, when the hook is stuck in your head and you never caught the name.

Google song search

The Google app has its own song search, humming included. Worth a try when another app comes up empty.

Siri

On iPhone, ask Siri "What song is this?". It uses Shazam, so it finds what Shazam finds, but you don't have to open anything.

Chord

Chord is built for nights out. Film a clip in the app and it names the song from that clip. If it can't, you add the song in two taps. When your friends are in the same Night their clips land there too, and the Setlist collects every song the group caught. It also checks clips you import from your camera roll.

Chord is in open beta on iPhone right now. Android is coming.

setlist.fm and 1001Tracklists

These are the human backup. On setlist.fm, fans list the songs a band or singer played at a show, in order. On 1001Tracklists they rebuild DJ sets track by track, and go back to fill in IDs once they get named.

So which one?

• A song on the radio or in a café: Shazam, SoundHound or Siri.
• A tune stuck in your head: hum it to SoundHound or Google.
• A night out you want to keep, songs included: Chord.
• The DJ set track nobody could name: 1001Tracklists, a few days later.

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